Q: What do Donald Trump and Elton John Have in common?

A: They both suffer from male pattern hair loss.

Donald Trump is as famous for his comb over as he for his wealth and Elton John is as famous for his hair transplant surgery as he is for his music. The fact that we are so interested in how celebrity men deal with their hair loss shows how preoccupied we are with appearances and in particular our hair. Despite male pattern baldness being so common that it affects approx. two thirds of men over the age of 60 and 25% of men in their twenties, the association of thinning hair with aging means we are forever trying to disguise it with various hairstyles, slow down or reverse the process.

What causes male pattern hair loss?

Male pattern hair loss is a form of progressive baldness found to have hereditary factors. It has been attributed to the sex hormone DHT which is an active form of testosterone.   Because of this, bald men are often seen as virile and sexy.  Yul Brynner had a film career with a full head of hair, but he didn’t become a great star till he shaved his head.

Male pattern hair loss is also known as androgenic alopecia. Medical causes for hair to thin and fall out include illness, medication, stress, anxiety and chemical damage.

Hair loss myths – the truth about bald men

There are a few myths surrounding male pattern hair loss.  The one about bald men being more virile derives from the ostensible link to testosterone.  A myth that bald men are more intelligent may reflect a perception that a large forehead indicates a greater intellectual capacity and that as the hair recedes it exposes more skin making the forehead look larger.

It is also said that men are most likely to inherit the hair loss pattern of their maternal grandfather. There does appear to be evidence for this, though the man’s father’s family also has an influence.

How to cover up hair loss without having hair transplant surgery

While many men suit total baldness, for those with receding hair lines or patches of hair loss, shaving the head is not an attractive option. In such cases, covering up hair loss can become an obsession. It is always worth taking a hair stylist’s advice on how to wear your hair as a talented practitioner can create styles to disguise receding hair lines and accentuate other features.  There are lots of celebrity men who wear their receding hair lines exceedingly well, Jude Law for example.

Methods for disguising male pattern baldness

• Comb over

The comb over is only really effective for small areas of hair loss and offers only a short term solution as the baldness will spread.  The look is very contrived and for men with as much hair loss as Donald Trump it really is not advised. 

• Hats

Hats offer a great stylish means to disguise hair loss and Elton John was notorious for wearing fabulous hats before he had his hair transplant surgery.  However, hats offer only a means to cover up hair loss, not to address it.

• Wigs/Toupees/Hairpieces

Hairpieces have come a long way since the days of looking like a badger on the head. They can be made with human hair or very realistic and light-weight artificial hair. Like ladies hairpieces, they come in all styles and colours but the better the quality, (and greater the cost) the more real they look and the more secure. They remain more popular with women as men tend to feel more comfortable addressing their hair loss issues with comb-overs, hats or surgery.

Ways to slow down hair loss or prevent it altogether.

There are as yet no reliably proven ways to stop hair loss or cure male pattern baldness, but there are treatments which may slow the hair loss process down and in some cases encourage new growth. One well-known prescription treatment is Rogaine / Minoxidil. This treatment has shown success with approx. 66% of men who have tried it, but with not as much improvement as they may have hoped.

Another prescription product is Finasteride. This shows a success rate of around 80%. But signs of improvement can be slow (3 -6 months).  As with all prescription treatments a medical practitioner must be consulted and the risk of side effects taken into account.

Herbal alternative to Rogaine – Nisim

Nisim is a duo of intensive cleansing shampoos which create a nutrient rich environment believed to be ideal for healthy hair growth. Its product details describe it as: 

“ The only non-prescription product that can and does provide proof of its ability to neutralize DHT.�

For more details on Nisim see here:- http://www.virilityhealth.com/search.php?pg=1&stext=nisim&scat=&stype=exact&nobox=true

Finally, if you don’t dare to bare, take some top styling tips from the men who’ve taken care of their male pattern hair loss gracefully and leave the Donald Trumps of the world to get on with business!